Wasteful Inter were beaten 2-1 at home by Wolfsburg, going out of the Europa League 5-2 on aggregate.
The Nerazzurri had to come back from a 3-1 first leg deficit. Naldo was suspended with Aaron Hunt out injured. Xherdan Shaqiri was not fit enough to start, but Mateo Kovacic was given a new role and they hoped to defend their 11-game unbeaten home Euro run.
Hernanes forced a tough save out of Diego Benaglio in the opening four minutes, but on the counter Daniel Caligiuri’s volley into the ground bounced over the bar.
Wasteful Inter were beaten 2-1 at home by Wolfsburg, going out of the Europa League 5-2 on aggregate.
The Nerazzurri had to come back from a 3-1 first leg deficit. Naldo was suspended with Aaron Hunt out injured. Xherdan Shaqiri was not fit enough to start, but Mateo Kovacic was given a new role and they hoped to defend their 11-game unbeaten home Euro run.
Hernanes forced a tough save out of Diego Benaglio in the opening four minutes, but on the counter Daniel Caligiuri’s volley into the ground bounced over the bar.
A Juan Jesus error sent Bas Dost clear on goal, but Juan Pablo Carrizo at full stretch fingertipped the ball off his feet.
Benaglio did brilliantly with a one-handed reaction save on Mauro Icardi, but Inter went behind at San Siro.
It was poor defending, as Kevin de Bruyne was allowed to whip in a cross for unmarked Caligiuri, who had got away from Juan Jesus. This meant Wolfsburg lead 4-1 on aggregate and Inter needed three goals just to force extra time.
Kovacic fired over and Icardi just failed to get his head to a dangerous cross, while Carrizo palmed a Caligiuri effort round the post.
Fredy Guarin was somehow denied from point-blank range by Benaglio on Rodrigo Palacio’s cross. On the stroke of half-time Palacio’s cross was knocked down by Icardi, but Kovacic came sliding in and was unable to make the right contact.
Roberto Mancini changed shape at the break, moving to a 4-3-1-2 system with Hernanes behind the strikers. Carrizo was again decisive on Dost, who was sent clear on goal by De Bruyne, and Kovacic went off with a knee injury.
Hernanes nodded a Palacio cross over, though should’ve left it for the unmarked Zdravko Kuzmanovic behind him. Palacio went on a splendid solo run, but Benaglio stuck out a leg to deny him at the near post.
Gary Medel got away with a terible backpass and Hernanes scuffed his finish inches past the post. Palacio finally got Inter back into the game, completing a spectacular volleyed give-and-go with Hernanes to beat Benaglio.
Just as the Nerazzurri were pouring forward, Nicklas Bendtner restored Wolfsburg’s advantage to finish the tie, hitting a volley into the ground to bounce over Carrizo from 12 yards.
Inter 1-2 Wolfsburg (2-5 agg)
Scorers: Caligiuri 24 (W), Palacio 71 (I), Bendtner 89 (W)
Inter: Carrizo; Campagnaro (D’Ambrosio 67), Ranocchia, Juan Jesus, Santon; Guarin, Medel; Hernanes, Kovacic (Kuzmanovic 55), Palacio; Icardi
Wolfsburg: Benaglio; Trasch, Knoche, Klose, Rodriguez; Guilavogui, Luiz Gustavo; Vieirinha (Arnold 85), De Bruyne, Caligiuri (Perisic 73); Dost (Bendtner 64)
Ref: Clattenburg (ENG)